Demonstrators superglue themselves to the front door of the RBC branch at Brooks Landing in Nanaimo on April 7. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Water Cooler: Homelessness employment program in Nanaimo & local environmental protests

Apr 15, 2022 | 5:56 AM

NANAIMO — The Water Cooler is NanaimoNewsNOW’s letters to the editor-style segment, featuring conversations about the news in Nanaimo and Oceanside.

This week’s feature deals with Project Rise, a program designed to help people on the street find work, and Extinction Rebellion’s continued protesting in Nanaimo.

Julie T., Lake Cowichan: The feature Project Rise really is interesting and informative. I live in three different places, Lake Cowichan Naniamo, and Gabriola Island. All I hear about is how awful it all is with the homeless everywhere. But this program seems to really have teeth to dig in a do some good. Unless u want to change your life and do better and take concrete steps to do so…it’s the same old life.

Nothing good ever happened to me until I made conscious choices to change my destructive and self deleting habits. Make a plan, write it down and do something ti reach that goal everyday. May every person in this pilot program succeed because they put in the effort and are grateful for the opportunity given them.

NanaimoNewsNOW: The Island Crisis Care Society do amazing work and their Project Rise program is no exception. The eight week paid job placement program takes in six people and helps them further develop the skills necessary to succeed.

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A job can be such a crucial aspect of getting off the street, well beyond the obvious financial benefits of earning money to dedicate towards food, clothing and housing. Jobs can provide structure and social circles which can be of a huge benefit.

Ultimately though, success in the program will be down to the participants themselves. The society says its participants are eager and willing, all are existing clients, but it will be up to those enrolled to continue the lessons learned once the program is over.

Project Rise is designed to run four times a year.

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Paul P., Nanaimo: The Extinction Rebellion (XR) group does not represent climate change science. They don’t represent any science unless weird fantasy counts as a new branch of eco-science. XR was founded by Roger Hallam and is based in Wales. He spent time in 2020 jailed for “conspiracy to commit criminal damage. While there he wrote one of his well-known tomes on the effects of climate change.

Then consider this. Hallam’s cohort Cameron Ford, who started an XR offshoot activist movement called Insulate Britain, stated that unless we fail to enact certain environmental policies climate change will cause “genocide on an infinitely greater scale” than the Holocaust. And yet these local “warriors” are superglueing their hands to bank doors. In the name of what? Do they know who they are following and what the XR movement spouts as science? I just hope that none of the people who glued their hands to the bank doors need to use the bathroom. Now that would be an environmental disaster.

NanaimoNewsNOW: It’s relatively easy to separate the backgrounds and history of Extinction Rebellion (XR) and the local demonstrations, even though they are done under the same name. Protests on highways and major intersections around Nanaimo, along with a recent demonstration outside the Brooks Landing RBC were through “Save Old Growth”, a more local off-shoot of XR.

The messaging from XR and Save Old Growth is clear, they’re looking for a meeting with forests minister Katrine Conroy to discuss an immediate halt to the cutting of B.C.’s remaining old growth forest.

For the Government’s part, they’ve announced deferrals of substantial areas across the province while more longer term solutions are found. How motivated she will be to come to the table by people sitting on highways remains to be seen.

Based on feedback we’ve been given from readers and listeners, the manner of protests isn’t garnering much public support. It’s not uncommon to see drivers, or in the case of the recent bank protest, customers yell at demonstrators who are apologetic while explaining their cause.

It does little for someone trying to use a bank, or get to where they need to be. The protests, at least for now, do little on the surface to affect the provincial government but have larger consequences for the average citizen.

Save Old Growth have made it clear they will continue their action. A most recent demonstration on Thursday, April 14 was confined to the sidewalk at Terminal Ave. and Commercial St.

The group’s main leader, Howard Breen, was released from police custody on Wednesday, April 13 after the April 7 demonstration at RBC on charges including mischief, causing a disturbance and breach of undertaking.

He is due again in court April 19.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

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